Greeting my little marshwiggles!

I forgot to mention last chapter, but the idea for the David children to attend Shive was from the lovely Summer95, whose words of support have been so encouraging. This chapter is dedicated to you!

Thank you all for the reviews, there is never going to be enough words to thank you all for taking the time to review. You people inspire and motivate me!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own NCIS. you happy now! :( XD

Chapter 27

McGee hurried to Abby's lab, jacket tails flying like the unlikely super hero he was, summoned by the words of a damsel in distress. Or at least, the writer in him wished that it were true. Reaching her open door, he picked up the place further, and hurtled into Abby's lab to save his black beauty from whatever perils that may have lay there.

"I just got your text, and I got here as soon as I could," McGee said as he came within earshot to Abby's turned figure, trying to not feel smug about the fact he had not ran out of breath from his expedition. Trying, and failing. Tony had been right, he had lost weight. But that was because he had stopped eating junk, and had actually visited the gym. Healthy changes that had led to a healthier him.

Abby turned around, and McGee could see the worry that radiated from her slightly moist green eyes, that had lost their previous sparkle of joy. Wordlessly, she held out her phone, McGee caught sight of the text message that had appeared on her screen.

From Tony: I am being held against my will by the tribe of Davids. Come save me?

McGee's face broke into a large grin from Tony's words. What an idiot. But the glare that he was receiving from Abby seemed to tell him that smiling was a wrong move.

"Abby, he is joking, you do know that. Right?" McGee said, seeking some kind of reassurance that his girlfriend was kidding. He didn't find anything.

"But what if he is in trouble?" Abby said indignantly, fully convinced that Tony was in trouble, and was just waiting for them to rush in to rescue him.

"Then Gibbs would already be in Israel beating up whoever dare hurt Tony, and then dragging Tony back to DC by the ears for disturbing him while he was trying to work," McGee said deadpan, and Abby just glared at him.
McGee sighed in resignation, and pulled Abby into a hug, pressing a kiss on her head.

"He is fine. You don't need to worry about him," McGee said, his voice muffled as he spoke into her hair, "he is having fun. He just sent me this picture."
McGee extracted himself from Abby's arms, and pulled out his phone with the hand that wasn't still cradling Abby's. Swiping across the screen, he came to the image that Tony had sent him the other day. When Abby lifted her head from McGee chest to look at the screen she smiled. So this was why McGee hadn't been worried.

The picture had clearly been taken by someone else, as both Ziva and Tony were in it. They were inside, their faces lit up by artificial light that only belonged indoors in the darkening evening. The two of them were curled up a sofa, their eyes closed, looking exhausted. Tony's arm was casually slung over Ziva's body, territorially holding her close. But it was not Tony who Abby was looking at.

"Is that a tattoo?!" Abby said, and McGee looked again. Ziva was wearing a tiny pair of shorts that had apparently ridden up as she slept, and on the back of her upper thigh was what appeared to be a tiny tattoo. McGee raised his eyebrows. He had not expected Ziva to be the kind of person who had tattoos. Not that he had anything against tattoos. His favourite person in the world had tattoos…

Just then Abby's phone chirped into life, and Abby manoeuvred them round so she could remain in McGee's arms, but still pick up the phone. Hitting the button and putting the call of speaker, she answered.

"Forensics."
"Abby," the voice on the other end of the phone said, and Abby recognised it immediately.

"Tony! I miss you! I got your text, how are you?"
"Yeah, I'm good! How are things back home?"

"Pretty quiet. No new cases, so McGee is getting bored up there. Say hi McGee," she ordered him.

"Hey Tony. How is it going with meeting the in-laws?" McGee said, leaning over so he could be heard more clearly.

"Naturally, they love me," McGee rolled his eyes at his arrogance, "Ziva and her clan are going wedding dress shopping, so I am going out with Ari. If I don't come back, question him first, you got it."

Abby grinned, "so, what is Ziva's tattoo of?"

"Which one?" Tony answered, and Abby's eyes widened in shock.

"She has more than one?!"

"I've said too much," Tony said, "sorry, I need to go, Ari is giving me evils, and he looks too much like Ziva when he does that."

"OK, call soon!"

"Bye," Tony said, and Abby clicked him off. Turning to McGee she grinned, satisfied that Tony was fine. At least, he was at that moments…

Tel Aviv, Israel

Tony flicked his phone shut, and turned around in search for Ari.

"Shall we go?" Tony said brightly, trying to hide the fear he felt. This had been the first time he had been alone with Ari, and there was something about the man who oozed a dark confidence. Ziva had briefly mentioned Ari's past in Mossad, and this didn't placate him at all. If anything, the less she told her, the more was left up to his own imagination. Which was not good, for someone who had watched as many movies as Tony DiNozzo. That on top of the fact Ari was Ziva's older brother, and took his job very seriously did not reassure him in any way, shape or form.

"Do I scare you?"

Tony about jumped a mile, as Ari seemed to appear out of nowhere and in front of him in Gibbs fashion. Tony had left Ari in the living room to call Abby in the kitchen and Tony thought that Ari was still there. But he was clearly mistaken.
"No!" Tony said in response, and Ari raised an eyebrow at Tony. Just the one eyebrow. That man had crazy skills.

"OK, maybe a little," Tony admitted.

"A little?" Ari said, motioning with his thumb and finger.

"Just a little," Tony said, mimicking Ari, but putting his digits closer together. He couldn't let Ari think that his sister was marrying a complete wuss.

"Well if it is of any reassurance, I will not kill you whilst Ziva still likes you."

It wasn't of any reassurance.

Ten minutes later, Tony found himself on the streets of Beer Sheva, squinting his eyes against the bright light of the Sun. Tony didn't know what to expect when he thought of Ziva's hometown. But the one thing he expected was true. It was very very hot.

Ari walked by his side in silence, with the cool grace of a local, but with reservations. Tony could see that the man's eyes were never still, always moving to take in everything.

"It must be strange to be back," Tony said, trying to guess why Ari looked so hesitant.

"I cannot believe that I am here again," Ari said, his voice almost being lost among the noise. They were walking through market place, noises ringing from either side, as stall owners attempted to sell them things in Hebrew. Tony's appearance was clearly screaming tourist, and as soon as they saw him they switched to butchered English. Ari weaved skilfully between stalls, until they emerged from the darkness. The place was a strange mesh of old and new, desert and urban. And it was not just Tony who was disconcerted by it all.

"I need a drink," Ari said, and Tony followed him into a shaded area, where a small stand was selling cold drinks. Paying for two bottles of water, Ari passed one to Tony, and they sat down together.

Tony let silence fall between the two of them, realising that Ari was going to need a few moments before he said anything. Ziva had an equally distant look about her when they had first got to her Auntie's house, and Tony knew the feeling. The feeling that came with thinking you would never return to a place again, and then seeing it again, trying to work out if it was a dream.

"What's changed?" Tony asked finally, figuring it would be good for Ari to talk about it, rather than go all Mossad warrior on his ass and bottle up, like Ziva knew how to do so well.

"There are more cars. And more noise. But it is exactly the same," Air said distractedly.

"Is that a good thing," Tony asked. There was a pause as Ari contemplated.

"I will get back to you on that one," Air said, a smile forming lightly on his face.

"I got what Ziva means about American summers being cold. This place is boiling," Tony said, feeling that a change in subject and lighter conversation was needed.

"Ziva seemed to get on well with the Sun. She was always the first one to be out of bed and outside when we were younger. She loved it," Ari said wistfully.

"She still loves the Sun. And the snow."

"It is never cold enough to snow here. We only ever saw snow in the States."

"And the novelty has clearly no worn of," Tony said, remembering the first time he saw Ziva in the snow…

*Flashback*

"Ziva, it's freezing."
"Yes, and it is also snowing."
"Do we have to?"
"YES!" two heads of two David girls whipped around as he dare insinuate that they did not go out in the snow. It was a cold December morning, and when Tony had woken up to see that snow had fallen over the city over night, his first thought was of how heavy the traffic was going to be because of it. But there were apparently people with more childish views. People who saw staying indoors while it was snowing would be like been given chocolate, and then not eating it. And two of those people were Ziva and Tali. Tony saw identical looks of joy and excitement in both the Davids' eyes, and he knew that resistance was futile.

"Fine, I'm coming," and against his better will he got out of the warm confines of the car, and stepped into the cold. All around, he could hear the joyful cries of children with parents in tow throwing snowballs around and making snowmen. It was a happy sight that belonged in a movie or on a set. But Tony could not help but feel how cold it was. Turning himself around to close the car door behind him, he felt something cold and icy impact on the back of his head. And then he felt another. Turning his head around, he glared trying to find the culprits. The snowy gloved Tali and Ziva grinned sheepishly back and him, and he figured that he was here now. He might as well join in. Scooping up a handful of snow, he saw the two look at each other and in exact synchrony, they shouted at each other.

"SCATTER!"

*end of flashback*

Tony could almost feel the cold of the snow down his neck, and reminiscent with great affection about cold. In the hot sticky Middle Eastern climate, cold was the furthest thing from their situation. But a man could dream.

"So, how was your Valentine's Day?" Tony said, deciding that if Ari had intentions with Kate, he was going to find out about them at some point. That point may as well have been now.
"You are in a foreign country, surrounded by new sights and sounds, and you wish to discuss my relations with your co-worker?" Ari said amused.

"Yes," Tony said, not to be deterred by Ari's deadpan sarcasm.

Ari sighed, knowing that he was not going to get out of having this conversation.

"Kate and I spent the evening together. What else is there to say?"

"What are your intentions with her?"
"How does this concern you?"

"I need to know whether to let you live or not," Tony said, and Ari actually laughed out loud at him.

"You are going to

marry my little sister. You are the one who should be fearing for your life," Ari said. And Tony was stumped. Touché.

"This is very strange," Air said, repeating himself, and leaning back in his chair. Tony was in agreement. Yes it was weird…

oooOOOooo

Ziva couldn't help but think how strange the whole situation was. She was sitting with all her aunties and cousins and nieces, at a table, discussing wedding plans and coaster designs. In her homeland. As one of her nieces interjected something into the conversation, Ziva couldn't help but think how much things had changed without her. The last time she had seen that niece was at her 10th birthday party. Now she was all grown up, with her own life and her own career. That same little girl who she had once had to rock to sleep, because Ziva was babysitting, and the girl had been woken from a nightmare.

"So, what do you think?"

Ziva turned back to the conversation to see the faces of many David women staring back at her expectedly.

"Sarah asked if Tony was good in bed, and then your sister said that was inappropriate, and Sarah said to let you say it," Rivka paraphrased, and Ziva's mouth opened and closed in shock.

"Ima!" Ziva said incredulous, and everyone laughed hysterically. And it was at those moments that Ziva remembered what she was missing. She remembered why she didn't want to leave Israel, why she had resisted when her mum had told her what was going to happen. But when she came back, things began to come together. Yes, things had changed back home. But she had changed. And she was OK with that. She didn't need the past to define who she was. She was better than that.

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